| Kim Jong-chul | |
|---|---|
| Personal details | |
| Born | Kim Jong-chul September 25, 1981 Pyongyang, Democratic People's Republic of Korea |
| Nationality | North Korean |
| Political party | Workers' Party of Korea |
| Relations | Kim Jong-il (father) Ko Young-hee (mother) Kim Il-sung (grandfather) Kim Jong-un (brother) |
| Residence | Pyongyang, Democratic People's Republic of Korea |
| Kim Jong-chul | |
|---|---|
| Chosŏn'gŭl | 김정철 |
| Hancha | 金正哲 |
| McCune–Reischauer | Kim Chŏngch'ŏl |
| Revised Romanization | Gim Jeong-cheol |
Kim Jong-chul (born September 25, 1981) is the middle son of Kim Jong-il, the late leader of North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea). His older half-brother is Kim Jong-nam. His younger brother is Kim Jong-un, now the de facto leader of North Korea.
In 2007, Jong-chul was appointed deputy chief of a leadership division of the Workers' Party. However, on January 15, 2009, the South Korean News Agency reported that Kim Jong-il appointed his youngest son, Jong-un, to be his successor, passing over Jong-nam and Jong-chul.
These reports were supported in April 2009 when Kim Jong-un assumed a low-level position within the ruling Workers' Party of Korea as Kim Jong-il was groomed by his own father, Kim Il-sung, in a similar way before becoming North Korean leader in 1994.[1]
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Until 2001, it was assumed that Kim Jong-il's eventual heir would be his eldest son, Kim Jong-nam, whose mother was Song Hye-rim. But in May 2001, Kim Jong-nam was arrested at New Tokyo International Airport, Japan, travelling on a forged Dominican Republic passport. He was held and then deported to the People's Republic of China. The incident caused Kim Jong-il to cancel a planned visit to China because of the embarrassment to both countries. As a result of this incident, Kim Jong-nam has fallen from favour. He was later reported to be living in Macau.
In February 2003, moves began to raise the profile of Kim Jong-chul. The Korean People's Army began a propaganda campaign using the slogan "The Respected Mother is the Most Faithful and Loyal Subject to the Dear Leader Comrade Supreme Commander." Since the "Respected Mother" was described as "[devoting] herself to the personal safety of the comrade supreme commander," and "[assisting] the comrade supreme commander nearest to his body", Western analysts assume that the "Respected Mother" was Koh Young-hee, mother of Kim Jong-chul and Kim Jong-un.[2] A similar campaign was launched in praise of Kim Jong-il's mother during the later years of Kim Il-sung's life.[2] This suggested that Kim Jong-chul, despite his youth, had emerged with Army backing to be a serious contender to succeed his father.
However, Kenji Fujimoto, Kim Jong-il's personal sushi chef, wrote in his memoir, I Was Kim Jong Il's Cook, that Kim Jong Il thought Jong-chul was "no good because he is like a little girl". Fujimoto believed Kim Jong-il favored his youngest son, Kim Jong-un.[3]
On June 1, 2009, it was reported that Kim Jong-chul had been passed over as his younger brother, Kim Jong-un, is to succeed his father as the head of the Korean Workers' Party and de-facto head of state of North Korea.[4]
Kim Jong-chul was born in 1981. He is the first son of Kim Jong-il and companion Ko Young-hee, who died in 2004.
Kim Jong-chul was reportedly spotted in Singapore on 14 February 2011, where he was attending an Eric Clapton concert.[5]
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